Have just returned from holiday where i managed to turn turtle in a Hobie Dragoon,which shook me up. I bought a used 14 which i collect this week with a Turbo conversion can this happen as easily with a 14. I am not an experienced sailor . ps I was unable to right the cat on my own.Any advice would be a great help.

Pitching a 14?? Its not 'IF' it happens. Its 'When'.
I heard a guy say this about the 14t "Its like driving one of those old VW Vans, theres nothing in front of you."
Don't get me wrong, the 14 is BIG fun.
cw

The 14 is a pretty easy boat to right. So, if you go over, no worries. Yes, it does have a propensity to pitchpole, but you will learn how to see it coming and learn how to prevent it most of the time.

don't let this scare you away from your boat. Go out, take it easy and gradually keep pushing the boat. You won't regret it.

I THINK CAUSE OF PITCHPOLL WAS A COMBINATION OF MY 180 POUNDS TO FAR FORWARD ON CAT TURNING TO GYBE AND NOT RELEASING MAIN SAIL AND HITTING SMALL WAVE ALL AT THE SAME TIME . ALL THE BOOKS ON CATS THAT I HAVE REFER TO WHAT TO DO RATHER THAN THE DON,T. DOES MY ASSESMENT OF WHAT HAPPENED SOUND CORRECT.IS GYBING THE MOST PRECARIUS ACTION.

I would agree with the fact that your size, water and jibing all attribute to pitching, BUT, I have pitched going up wind, rounding C, downwind, you name it.
Also, righting a 14 is easy most of the time but don't dilly dally. They seem to go turtle in no time flat and that make it tough to get back over.

Sounds about right- the 14t pushes pretty hard on the bows! They're a great solo boat. If you don't flip or pitch it once in a while, you're not pushing hard enough! When you trap out- stay way back, and watch the waves- they can throw your balance.
Dave

YA TODAY 4/23 I WAS OUT AT PYMATUNING LAKE IN PA. IT WAS MY FIRST TIME ABOUT 60 DEGREES AND I WAS OUT BY MY SELF. I AM 130 AND WERING A WET SUIT SO I WASNT AS MUCH COLD AS STARTLED HOW FAST THESE SUCKERS FLY. I ALMOST PICHED BUT I CAUGHT IT IN TIME AND DONT REALLY KNOW HWAT I DID I THINK I HEADED OFF AND LAT GO OF MY SHEET. I DONT KNOW IF WOULD LET GO OF THE SHEET AGAIN. BUT THATS WHAT I DID AND IT KEPT ME FROM PICHING. ANY HELP WOULD BE HELPFUL, FIRST TIME ON A HOBIE SOLO

I sailed my 14T on Lake Huron for years. Too much swell for a 13'6" boat but it taught me how to pitchpole and turtle. Get a Hawaiian righting system and also put neoprene strips on your siderails as well as on the aft upper deck of the hulls. Put them way back on the hulls. I wish there were mast bobs back then. The advice to not waste time getting back on the hull and pulling on the righting line is dead on. Do not get discouraged while leaning out because it is sooo slow to come over. When it does make sure you are in between the hulls and grab the dolphin striker or the tramp lace because it will want to fly all the way over. When you turtle; panic and then calm down. If you follow Hobies instructions exactly it will come up, but, again every step goes so slow. If you turtled in light air then forget it. If your not wearing nonslip booties forget it.

I've been sailing a modified 14 Turbo (full battened jib like the 16) for a long time (close to 20 years) , it seems the only way I know how to capsize it is to pitchpole. Last spring I made my own Anti-Pitchpole Hydrofoils, and they seem to help alot, I buried the bow a few times and it didn't go over. You can get a set @ CatSailor.com
http://store.catsailor.com/tek9.asp?pg= ... jmmmenpqf0

The H-14 is the reason MAST BOBs were invented. Mount one on the masthead of your H-14... this will not prevent pitchpole, but will keep it from going all the way turtle--saves time and anxiety, especially in shallow water. The anti-pitchpole hydrofoils sound like a good idea too...

... many accessories and pitchpoles and turtles later, you will realize that Prindle-15 sailors are having fewer such hassles, i.e. much higher bow buoyancy = much higher sailing:swim-time ratio.